The INDE.Awards are a celebration of progressive, ambitious and innovative architecture and design across the Indo-Pacific region. With over 430 entries from 14 countries, these projects have pushed boundaries, reimagining the way spaces, objects, and people define the architecture and design industry.

A design studio built on passion, individuality and sustainability, Dinosaur Designs is uniquely Australian and from day one, set to challenge the way we look at the significance of design in our everyday lives. Its pieces follow a philosophy of colour and form in a natural and organic state, including our INDE.Awards trophy.

Here, we discuss the creative and artistic process behind the trophy design with designer and Creative Director of Dinosaur Designs, Stephen Ormandy.

Indesignlive: What were your first thoughts when asked to design the trophy for the INDE.Awards?

Stephen Ormandy: It was exciting and daunting at the same time. There is always a huge amount of pressure when you are asked to create something for the architecture and design community – especially when it is something so prestigious like the INDE.Awards. From the get-go, this was something that we took very seriously because we knew that this was going to be displayed on stage.

This trophy carried a big meaning for the winners, so we knew that we needed to be thoughtful and create something that was significantly representative of our brand.

Can you talk us through your creative process?

We approached the design for the INDE.Awards trophy the same way we would normally work. At the start of the process, we first look at what we have done in the past and how we can make that relevant. At Dinosaur Designs, we tend to look at what is available, what is interesting in order to do something that speaks to the history of our own body of work.

We took an existing vase and flipped it on its side – which means that people can also re-use the trophy as a vase. Our main aim was to incorporate the Gold Dot in a three-dimensional piece. We focused on incorporating the three INDE.Awards colours in a way that represented the movement of the design community.

Was there anything in particular that you wanted to stand out in the overall form?

In the trophy world form has been thoroughly explored, I think that this trophy definitely needed to be unique and have certain nuances. We achieved this through the incorporation of the INDE.Awards colours and found an existing form that was not only applicable but also reflective of who we are as designers within the industry.

In your opinion, what do the INDE.Awards mean? And what does it represent for the evolution of architecture and design?

The INDE.Awards represent a benchmark – an opportunity to showcase how certain designs and objects are contributing to the changing nature of the design industry.

It was inspiring to see the industry come together and celebrate people, projects and objects that are thoughtful, engaging and respectful of contexts and are not merely based on aesthetics.

I think that it is a great reminder of where the industry is headed towards and I cannot wait for INDE.Awards 2020!

Photography by Einwick.